Many people spend years trying to swat flies instead of healing the open wounds of their hurt lives. Hurt wounds and offenses are but traps of Satan to ensnare us in his web of murder, hatred, and bondage. Jesus Christ can set us free from these offenses but we must make the first move and forgive those who have hurt us and close the doors Satan walks through to torment our lives with his lies  and his efforts to steal, kill and to destroy.

By Chris McDonald

Text: Matthew 12:24,27 - But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow does not cast out devils, but by BEELZEBUB the prince of the devils. 27 - And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges.

        To win the battle against Satan we must first become like Christ. We recently wrote another journal on this same text but we feel the Lord directing us back to it again for a second look at the words of Jesus and what He had to say about the work of Satan. 

        I remember a graphic illustration I read recently about a man who was cutting sugar cane in a field when he accidentally cut his arm with his machete and began to bleed. As he tried to get help for his seriously bleeding arm a great number of flies began to swarm around the open wound. According to Hutchinson's Encyclopedia there are 90,000 different species of flies in the universe. Their mouthparts project from the head as a proboscis used for sucking fluids, modified in some species, such as mosquitoes, to pierce a victim's skin and suck blood. A fly, by nature, is attracted to such - BLOOD. In addition, a fly can adapt to its environment in a hurry, just as Satan adapts himself to you and I because of our fallen nature. He is attracted to the dirt in man.

        As a result of this wound the man found himself swatting flies so much he could barely stay conscious. He had no choice but to stop cutting down sugar cane stalks because of the great number of flies he had to swat away from the open wound. A fellow worker came to him and said, "Look, why don't you bandage that wound up and stop it from bleeding." When the man did this, not only did the bleeding stop, the but flies stopped swarming around him. He gained new strength after a rest and continued his task at hand. That story mirrors hundreds perhaps thousands of people, including many Christians today, whose lives are being wasted swatting at flies instead of fulfilling their God-given destiny. The source of the problem? An open wound of hurt and offense that has never been healed or bandaged up by the love and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Beelzebub: The Lord Of The Flies

        Beelzebub is a name for Satan in the New Testament. The term is based on a Hebrew word "Baal-zebub" which means "lord of the flies." The Pharisees' in Jesus day applied the name to the source they claimed Jesus used to do great miracles even claiming Jesus Himself was "prince of the devils and used demonic powers to cast out demons," (Matthew 12:24) Jesus showed the contradictory nature of such a claim and turned the charge back on the Pharisees. He showed His power to cast out demons indicated God was at work bringing in the Kingdom of God and delivering those under Satan's power. In our journal, "Our Children Will Be Our Judges," we looked at the aspects of what happens to a nation, a church or an individual who fights the power of God. In this journal we want to discuss the title the Pharisees' used for Satan - "the Lord of the Flies."

        In the book of Exodus when God sent Moses into Egypt to deliver the children of Israel from bondage, one of the plagues God used to plague Egypt with was an outpouring of swarms of flies:

Exodus 8:21  - Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. 

Exodus 8:24  - And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies. 

Psalm 78:45  - He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. 

        The Bible says three interesting things about the flies:

• They corrupted the land

• They destroyed the people

• They devoured what they swarmed upon

        Solomon took the effect of flies a step further saying whatever they touch for a long period of time always stinks! 

Eccles. 10:1  - Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savor: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor. 

        With this in mind we see four effects: corruption, destruction, stink and a devouring. Spiritually speaking, this describes the work of Satan. Jesus said the thief comes to "steal, to kill and to destroy." That is the work of demon spirits. That is the work of their master, Satan, who is called "the Lord of the flies." Just as Egypt was corrupted by flies so long ago, any individual or nation which rejects the light of God's word will be given over to darkness. This darkness is the domain of a fly. Flies love darkness and feed on anything that is dead, stinking, wounded or bleeding. They are attracted to blood. So is Satan, their lord.

        Another source that attracts flies spiritually speaking is any unconfessed sin we harbor in our hearts. Whenever we do this, we always open the door for demonic oppression and operation. Many Christians have been hurt by other people and carry feelings of resentment and hurt for years while never experiencing spiritual victory or a breakthrough. Unresolved guilt takes over which always leads to depression and in some extreme cases suicide. Most of these same people, especially if they are Christians, are always complaining of how much the devil is doing to "stop" them or to hinder their lives. This battle seems to never end. It's a driving force that seems to weigh them down. 

        There are certainly some times in our lives that Satan attacks even without open doors. But there are other times when our own carnality and actions have given Satan an open door to our heart and soul and believe me - HE IS NOT GOING TO FIGHT FAIR in his efforts to destroy US! Many of us are like the man in the sugar cane field. Years come and go, our children grow up into adults, we have our grandchildren and we spend all our lives "fighting flies" spiritually but we never deal with the open wounds of our lives that are attracting those flies to begin with.

        Egypt is not the only nation that has felt the effect of flies. America's constant sin against God, especially since the 1960s' movement of open blatant rebellion has caused great wounds in our country. As a result the flies that have been attracted to these wounds of racism, divorce, sexual immorality have corrupted the land. Millions in our nation (many of whom we know nothing about and we hear only a fraction that this is happening to) are hurting and wounded from years of sexual, physical, mental and emotional abuse from loved ones and those in authority. Divorce tears away at our family fiber. Children are growing up hurt at either their father or mother or both and some wind up cursing their parents to their face in their latter years. Some children go as far as to murder their parents in a rage of anger that has festered for years. The flies love this type of blood. Pornography creates such a spirit of lust that everything in our society has become so perverse we don't even blush anymore. Violence tears at our soul, our schools, our nation, our world. Why?

        Because the spirit world is full of demonic powers that are attracted to the open wounds of society, especially in America, where we have refused to repent of our sin and allow the Lord Jesus to heal us of our hurt. As a result, we've been turned over to the Lord of the Flies and he has done nothing but steal, kill and destroy.

Warfare Is A Reality

        The warfare that is raging over planet Earth for the souls of men is real and eternal. It has been declared not only on the earth but in the heavens! On an individual level, it is essential to our basic well-being that we discern the areas of our nature which are unguarded and open to satanic assault.  

        In the book of Jude we learn this about the domain and habitation of demons and fallen spirits and angels:

Jude 1:6  - And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. 

        Those who do not know Jesus are in the domain of darkness. They are fair game for Satan and he uses them for his own sick pleasure. Christians, however, have been "delivered out of the domain, or authority," of darkness (Col. 1:13). But whenever we as Christians willfully disobey God's word in any area of our lives, there is a spiritual darkness that is given hold in our hearts. This darkness grants the enemy place to perform any type demonic activity he wishes outside of possession. A person does not have to be demon possessed and vomit pea soup to be bound by satan. Many people in the church have anger, greed, malice, revenge, dishonesty and all sorts of other bondages in their lives yet name the name of Jesus. Jesus warned us that we need to take heed, "that the light which is in us" be not in the darkness. 

        There is a light in each one of us, "the spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord." Our spirits, illuminated by the Holy Spirit, becomes the Lamp of the Lord. It is this lamp through which the Lord uses to search our hearts. But when we harbor sin in our hearts without confessing and repenting of that sin or sins, the light in us becomes DARKNESS! Satan has legal access given to him by God to that darkness. The devil can traffic in any area of darkness, even the darkness that still exists in a Christian's heart. No, the enemy cannot possess a Christian, but he can cause tremendous difficulties if he is given place or access to our hearts and minds. Once he is let in - believe me - he wont leave easily and he won't take any prisoners. He's called the "lord of the flies," and his business is corruption, stink, destruction and devouring."

           Fighting Flies

        Where the battle for most of us is when we recognize there really is no battle except to abide in CHRIST the LIGHT OF THE WORLD. When we abide in Him, His Spirit reveals to us the areas of our lives we need to bring into repentance and cleansed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus. Warfare prayer is prayer that does not put ourselves in this fight in the spirit realm - it declares the finished work of Christ as our victory and nothing else! Satan is a master deceiver and he has convinced the church that are other ways to deliverance. Just like the man in the sugar cane field, satan wants us fighting flies and not healing wounds! To put it another way, we can attend all the "spiritual warfare" conferences we want, read all the books on warfare we can read, go to church 365 days a year  - but until we REPENT and allow the Lord Jesus to shine His light into our hearts we are wasting our time fighting Satan. Instead of fighting the flies, we need to be healed! When we come to Jesus and identify ourselves with Him, believe me - He will reveal to us the doors of access the enemy has walked into and when we ask Him in prayer - HE WILL KICK THE ENEMY OUT! GLORY TO GOD FOREVER>> Don't you feel that? When we ask the Lord Jesus and identify ourselves with His accomplished work on Calvary -THEN He will give us the GRACE and the POWER to resist the devil and the enemy will HAVE TO FLEE!

        Our problem is in the resisting. Many of us spend all our lives fighting the flies, dealing with symptoms, and never dealing with the root causes of our sins. The number one reason for this? PRIDE.

        Flies Are Attracted To Pride

Luke 22:31-32  - And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: [32] But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. 


        Behind the scenes, Satan had demanded and received permission to sift Peter like wheat. Satan had gained access into an area of Peter's heart. This door was PRIDE and it is the door by which Satan romps through 99% of all Christians today.  The Scripture continues that right after Jesus said this to Peter He foretold that one of the 12 would betray Him. This was a horrible moment but in the middle of this horrible moment guess what the 12 were also arguing about? Who would be the greatest!

Luke 22:23-24  - And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.  24] And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. 


        It doesn't say so emphatically, but with Peter's arrogance I believe we can be sure he along with James and John were in the middle of this dispute. Peter had just bragged about how close he was to Jesus and he'd NEVER forsake him even if everyone else did. He was fanning a spirit of ego and pride that Satan was more than happy to fan as well. Peter was being set up for a great fall but the door of access that led to this was PRIDE. Pride cometh before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. Pride wounds us in that it hides us or blinds us to our own condition. That is the worst state a person can ever be in - self-deceived! 

        Pride was what caused Lucifer's fall and as a result Lucifer knew from experience the judgment of God against rebellious pride and envy. Even though Satan did not have a right to indiscriminately assault and destroy Peter he demanded and GAINED permission from the Lord to sift Peter as wheat. Pride was the open wound that was attracting the flies to Peter and it's usually the open wound the flies swarm around their victims today including many Christians! 

        The areas of weakness and sin we hide and don't admit are the areas of our defeat later. When the Holy Spirit shows us an area that needs repentance we must confess and TURN from it. If we hide it, we are only wounding ourselves and opening a door for the lord of the flies. Our self-preservation instincts must be brought into submission before God. We cannot engage in spiritual battle without embracing the fact God is opposed to pride. When we are attacked by Satan, we can be sure he has gained permission from the Lord to do it and usually the one thing that makes God grant him that permission more quicker than anything else is PRIDE! 

The Food Of Flies

        The judgment against Satan in Eden was the snake would now be consigned to the natural carnal realm of the earth - "you will eat dust." God also told man that he too was made of "dust" and "dust" would be what we returned to upon dying - a judgment or curse brought on humanity because of Adam's sin. The essence of our carnal-nature is dust. Satan, like a fly, feeds upon that same earthly nature of "dust" as well. Dust could also be defined as that part of our lives we withhold from God. Whether it is our possessions, a secret sin we refuse to repent of, a hidden motive no one sees, or anything else that is in contrast to the nature of Jesus - it is all fair food for the flies. 

        A fly metamorphoses itself to adapt itself to its environment. Satan does the same. He feeds on our flesh, no matter what form it takes - jealousy, greed, covetousness, lust or malice. All of humanity, even Christians, will be open to this attack until Jesus comes. Before we think we can just "swat the flies" and they will go away we must be clear on one thing - flies don't just stop swarming around their victim or prey as long as there is something there for them to feed on! Before we start rebuking Satan, we need to make sure that our problems are not our own carnal nature that needs to be exposed and brought before the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. He wants to set us free from ourselves. We must only repent and be honest about our battles and weaknesses. Jesus knows the areas of open wounds in all of us and the power those wounds are having in attracting the flies of the enemy or demon spirits. 

Flies and Massive Offense

Matthew 24:10-13  - And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. [11] And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. [12] And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. [13] But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 


        Jesus said that in the last days, MANY, not a few, would become offended. Offense is another "food" source for flies. When we are offended the offense often leaves us wounded and hurt and open to Satanic attack if we don't place that offense under the blood of Jesus and QUICKLY! Jesus said many would betray one another and lose their fervent love for God. The word here is familiar to all of us - AGAPE. It's the same type love that is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost and is an unconditional love. It is not based on PERFORMANCE or even whether or not it is returned. It is a love that gives even when it is rejected. Jesus says this type love would wax cold in many of His children in the end times.

        So many of God's people have been wounded and hurt. These wounds and hurts have left deep holes in their spiritual armors and have allowed Satan to hinder their walk with God. These holes have attracted FLIES or demon spirits! When we love others we must love them IN THE SPIRIT. If we are trying to love people in the flesh, no matter how noble our motive or effort, we will ALWAYS be disappointed and open to offense! Why? Because people will always let us down and NEVER NEVER NEVER live up to our expectations of them. So many are in this category. They love someone until that person fails them or does something to hurt them. We set ourselves up for offense when we require certain behaviors from those with whom we have relationships. The more we expect, the greater potential for offense. This why one out of ever two marriages fail today. This is why 6 out of 10 second marriages fail today. We jump spouse to spouse thinking the new spouse will meet our expectations for a mate. Guess what? THEY WONT! The problem lies in our self-inflicted WOUNDS that have flies swarming all around them generating nothing but evil power and bondage in our lives.

        If we have no expectations of people then anything they give us in return is a blessing and not something owed back to me. Satan feeds on this carnal love and holds us in spiritual bondage. Christians who really should know better love the same way unfortunately. We have not learned to love each other, our spouse and even those who are lost with the type love Jesus has. And Jesus said in the last days this type love would wax very very cold!

        An Offended Brother...

Proverbs 18:19  - A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. 

       An offended brother or sister is harder to win than a fortified city. The strong cities have walls around them which in most cases during Bible days meant great assurance or protection. They kept unwelcome inhabitants and invaders OUT. All entrants were screened before entering. While this is good for protecting cities - it's spiritual suicide for us to do as humans.

        So many of us construct walls when we are hurt to safeguard our hearts and prevent future wounds. Jesus said if we are saved, we have no choice but to love others and keep that love fervent TO THE END! We cannot be selective on whom we love and whom we don't. We cannot filter out anyone who we think owes us something. Many withhold access from others until these people "pay their debts in full." Without knowing it, the walls we think are protecting us from outside inhabitants become a prison of our own making for ourselves. 

        At that point, we are not only cautious who comes in, but in terror we cannot venture outside our fortress. We become seized with insecurity and fear. Our focus becomes INWARD, not outward. The flies keep swarming upon us like a plague. Eventually we become corrupted, destroyed and devoured. We lose our minds. We lose our hope. We lose our joy. We lose our will to live. In some extreme cases Satan convinces us we don't need to live at all - and we kill ourselves. It's the attitude of the files! They devour and bite and swarm around open wounds. And the church, instead of instructing the Body to REPENT and heal the wound, instructs the Body of numerous ways to swat the flies. But hear me friend, the flies are not going anywhere until we close the wounds! This is what Paul said in Galatians:

Galatians 5:15  - But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. 

        If we don't risk being hurt, we cannot give unconditional love like Jesus gave to us! "He came unto HIS OWN and His OWN received Him not." What did He do? He kept on loving them and reaching out to them. Unconditional love gives others the right to hurt us! Love does not seek its own! Hurt people become more and more self-seeking and self-protecting. Hurt people never deal with their wounds. They spend their lives fighting symptoms of their hurt (swatting flies) and never really experience or embrace the JOY of salvation. .

        I remember when I was a little child one of the first things we learned in Sunday School is the acronym for JOY. Jesus Others You. Jesus first, others second and you last. Simple, but something hurt people do not know how to do because they are busy fighting the flies of the devil. An offended Christian is one who takes in life, but because of FEAR cannot release it to others and folks we were put on this earth to be vessels through which the life of Jesus can flow to others! To loose ourselves from this torment and be healed involves having the Lord help us develop "perfect love."

1 John 4:18  - There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. 

       When we filter everything through past hurts, rejections and experiences, we find it impossible to believe God. Jesus said part of the massive offense of the last days would lead to widespread betrayal. When a person is offended and hurt, they are capable of betrayal. As we saw in the life of Judas - his problems were tied to his relationship with Jesus. Judas was out for HIMSELF, not the cause of Christ. When we betray, we, like Judas, seek our own protection or benefit at the expense of someone else. The closer the relationship we have with the other individual the more severe the betrayal.

        That is why adultery stings so hard among married people. When a husband or wife embraces intimacy with another person outside the covenant of marriage it hurts the other spouse 10 times worse than if the two parties didn't know each other. I don't condone sex in any form outside marriage but to make a point here - if two people are just casually dating and this happens the sting may not be as tough. But when two people who have made a covenant together break that covenant in the bed of another - it drives a serious WOUND into the heart of the offended party.

        Hatred is also an issue with betrayal and is more rampant among God's people than we'd care to admit I'm afraid. Churches are splitting on every corner. Ministry politics are at an all-time high. Divorce rates skyrocketing. And when you look at the real root of the problem it all comes back down to one thing - FLIES! We are protecting our rights (PRIDE) and making sure no one hurts us (OFFENSE). We call ourselves "fighting the devil" but what we are doing is giving the enemy a greater foothold because we don't deal with the hatred and unforgiveness in our hearts.

        Why Do You Not Accept Wrong?

1 Cor. 6:7  - Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 

Matthew 5:44  - But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 

        If offense is not dealt with, it will destroy YOU and ME! We must trust God and not the flesh. We must resist the temptation to become so easily offended and proud. If someone does us wrong, let them! You will reap a far greater reward by allowing God to deal with the matter than seeking retribution. True love turns the other cheek. People who have open wounds in their lives never turn the other cheek - they fight! But these people don't realize that what they're doing is being taken captive by the lord of the flies!

1 Cor 13:1-10...Love is...not easily offended....

Unforgiveness, Bitterness And Revenge

        Three words you'd think we'd never talk about among Christians but in this day and age where we no longer know what it means to repent many are bound by these spirits of the enemy - FLIES! There is a powerful story in Matthew 18 that illustrates what happens to us when we don't forgive those who have hurt us.

Matthew 18:31-35  - So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. [32] Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desire me: [33] Should not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? [34] And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. [35] So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. 

        Flies are attracted to unforgiveness! To torture as the lord did to the unforgiving servant in this story, is to "cause agony to the body or mind; to inflict pain, to punish, to coerce or afford sadistic please." The instigators of this torture are demon spirits, or the flies! When we fail to forgive, God gives the "flies" permission to inflict pain and suffering upon our open wound, even if we are believers. Mark it down. UNFORGIVENESS WILL HINDER YOU FROM BEING HEALED, DELIVERED, AND BEING COMFORTED!  Medical doctors have linked unforgiveness and bitterness with diseases such as cancer and arthritis. Many cases of mental sicknesses are tied to a person having bitterness and unforgiveness in their heart. Paul said bitterness is a poison that springs up and defiles many.

Hebrews 12:14-15  - Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: [15] Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 

        Paul uses the word "MANY" here too. Not a few but "many" are be defiled by this spirit. Some believers are so tormented by unforgiveness they wish death on themselves and the people they are bitter towards. It's called poison for good reason. It will kill you spiritually! You will die and miss heaven because of it! I don't care how much you name the name of Jesus, if you have bitterness in your heart, you are on your way to hell friend! Many of the people with the worst case of bitterness are found sitting every Sunday on our church pews, speaking in tongues, shouting, prophesying while all the time harboring so much bitterness they are consumed by the power of the flies.

        When We Don't Forgive - Revenge Is Always Close At Hand

Matthew 5:38-40  - Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: [39] But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. [40] And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 

Romans 12:17-19  - Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. [18] If it be possible, as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men. [19] Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 

James 4:2  - Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 

James 5:9  - Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door. 

        Bitterness is a root. If roots are nursed - watered, protected, fed and given attention - guess what? - they increase in strength and depth! If not dealt with QUICKLY, roots are hard to pull up. Bitterness becomes unfulfilled revenge!

        Absalom is a great example of what happens to us when we don't deal with our hatred of others in a hurry - WE HANG OURSELVES! Many are not aware they have offense in their heart. Absalom was offended the Kingdom didn't belong to him so he "stole the hearts of the people" and tried to kill his father David. His father David, who had a heart after God promoted loyalty to Saul even at the same time Saul was trying to kill David with spears. We need to ask the Lord to search our hearts and motives and see if there is an offense there.

          This journal will begin a series of journals on offense, reconciliation, hurts, etc. We will be looking deeper into the lives of Joseph and David who are probably two great examples of what to do when offense comes. As we close this journal today I want to ask you a serious question.

        Are you at peace with yourself right now or are you fighting flies? Have you opened a door through which Satan can traffic and swarm over you and your family with condemnation, guilt, anger, fear, pride, rebellion and evil? There is great grace available at the foot of the cross of Jesus. He has already won the greatest battle in eternity and it was a battle fought over offense! Man offended God when he sinned but God loved us and died for us through Jesus "while we were yet sinners." In other words, while we were still offending Him, He paid the price for our freedom and salvation.

        It's time you close the wound and make the flies stop swarming around your life sir. It requires repentance and confession and admitting there is an offense there. Reconciliation needs to come at some point with the offending party and/or the offended party. Sometimes we are both the offended and the offender! Satan is the Lord of the flies. He's looking for prey and blood. If you are bitter, unforgiving and hurt right now - he smells that blood on you! And believe me from experience the enemy will swarm over you and seek to consume your life until you repent and forgive!

Heavenly Father in Jesus name, thank you for revealing to us all the areas of offense in our life that have become doors for the devil to send the flies through. Heal our wounds. Heal our brokenness. Mend our broken hearts. Bring reconciliation to those relationships that need mending. Help us forgive and FORGET the offenses that have been laid on us. Thank you for taking the offense of OUR sin and nailing it to your cross so we can be free today. In return Lord Jesus, give us power to impart that same grace to others who have wronged us. Cleanse us in the blood of the Cross and set us free from our hurt and make us WHOLE! We are no match for the lord of the flies but Lord Jesus we only seek to identify ourselves with YOU who HAVE OVERCOME AND DEFEATED the enemy. We place our trust in YOUR work at Calvary and not our own efforts or strength. We praise you for setting us free. Amen!